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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 28, 1981)
' I Page 12 THE BATTALION I WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 1981 National - — Tax hike rejection may close schools United Press International BATTLE CREEK, Mich. — Voters in a Michigan school dis trict, unsure of their economic fu ture, rejected a property tax hike — despite the threat of a shut down of local schools. In a record turnout Monday, Harper Creek voters refused by a 152 vote margin to approve a three-year, 26 percent property tax hike. The Harper Creek proposal, calling for a nine-mill hike in the first year, eight in the second and seven in the third and final year, was rejected by a 2,532-2,380 vote. It would have raised enough new funds to eliminate a $1.5 mil lion deficit. The owner of a $50,000 home in the southwestern Michigan city, would have seen property taxes climb from $861.75 to $1,087, or $226.25 annually, if the tax was approved. Under state law, another elec tion cannot be held for 30 days. By that time, officials said, the five- school district will be bankrupt unless deep cuts are made im mediately. “Now we may have to close down,” Harper Creek School Su perintendent James A. Brouwer said. “We can’t cut enough of our programs and still stay open for a full school year. ” Brouwer said unless the drastic cuts were implemented by Nov. 9, the district will be forced to close in early December. “Closing the school would be the least acceptable alternative,” Brouwer said, “(but) there aren’t many alternatives left to us. We can cut, but we re talking about 25 percent of the budget. ” As an alternative to closing, Brouwer said, he planned to ask the board to consider a system- wide layoff of 19 teachers and 11 other school workers, elimination of all athletic, extracurricular programs and bus transportation. In addition, food services will be cut at elementary and junior high schools and the school day will be shortened by one hour and 15 minutes. As Michigan’s economy has worsened, the number of school districts in financial trouble has grown steadily. State officials say the state cannot bail out the local districts. On Oct. 16, officials in Alpena in northeastern Lower Michigan closed classrooms for 6,800 stu dents following rejection of a mil- lage request. Another vote on the levy is set for Saturday. Last week, voters in the Detroit suburb of Taylor rejected a 20.4- mill levy and schools for 15,900 students are to close Nov. 13. Offi cials, meanwhile, hoped to have another election in December. Three other school districts —- Pontiac, Lincoln Park and Romu lus — need an infusion of new tax money to remain open. In Pon tiac, voters have rejected the last eight millage requests, including renewals. “No other state is having the kind of economic problems that Michigan has,” Robet McKerr, associate state schools superinten dent, said. Michael Maddry, a sophomore accounting major from Denton, and Dee Ann Cobb, a sophomore management major from Roundrock, put the finishing touches on Aggie jack-o-lantern, which took four hours to carve, n To the retailer: General Foods Corporation will reimburse you for the face value of this coupon plus 7* for handling if you receive it on the sale of the specified product and if upon request you submit evidence thereof satisfactory to General Foods Corporation. Coupon may not be assigned, transferred or reproduced. Customer must pay any sales tax. Void where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Good only in USA., Puerto Rico and U.S. Gov’t Install. Cash value: 1/20*. Coupon will not be honored if presented through outside agencies, brokers or others who are not retail distributors of our merchandise or specifically authorized by us to present coupons for redemption. For redemption of properly received and handled coupon, mail to: General Foods Corp., P.0. Box 103, Kankakee, Illinois 60901. Limit-One Coupon Per Purchase. This coupon good only on purchase of product indicated. Any other use constitutes fraud. Offer expires April 30,1982. Bottle diggers strike loot from 9 57 payroll robbery United Press International WINDSOR, Conn. —A couple digging for old bottles in a wooded area hit real paydirt and unco vered what police say was loot from a $66,573 unsolved payroll robbery 24 years ago. “It just seemed like it wasn’t going to end,” said Curtis Stoldt, 23, of Windsor, who made the find with his girlfriend. “I couldn’t be lieve it. I thought I’d hit some money someone had hidden there instead of going to the bank. ” Stoldt said he and his girl friend, Andrea Golden, 22, of Hartford, alerted police Saturday after unearthing a pile of coins and then coming onto a “vein of money” more than a foot deep at a randomly picked spot where they were digging for old bottles. Police Detective Cmdr. John Riccio said Monday that a dug-up, rotted burlap bag contained thousands of dollars in decaying bills. Riccio said payroll stubs pro vided positive proof that the money was the loot from the April 11, 1957, robbery at the former Hartford Machine Screw Co. Riccio said police were unable to determine the exact amount of money found because the bills were in such lousy condition. It was turned over to the FBI, which will try to determine the amount and verify the source through se rial numbers. Terry Shumard, an FBI agent in New Haven, said authorities were uncertain who could b the money. “We’ve been asking oursek the same question and ive don’t know,” he said. “Ifsposs! ' an insurance company mightk 1 l )rci paid a claim on the money anil 0 ,, 1C that case, they’d get it. Were® 1 e vestigating that possibility," ■ ’ 501 Police never solved the Uni TOME disa flash 'others lanton i OK ( lers go For 3 ry soul unity ( oody p rough i bery but believe it was pulledJ by a Hartford man, Francis Kdl : stilln ,en th< h kowski, 42, who died by his Sen lay hand after he killed an FBI agt in a shootout with authority week after the robbery. Police declined to give thesf cific location where the mos was found in the wooded area treasure hunters may descendi the area' looking for more moa? 3 of 14 charges against Presley s doctor dropped nous it True lactmer rrral, t United Press International MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A judge has dismissed three of the 14 drug charges against Elvis Presley’s for mer physician, a decision ex pected to bolster defense argu ments that he did not overpre scribe addictive medications to his patients. Attorneys for Dr. George C. Nichopoulous were scheduled to open their defense Tuesday after the prosecution closed its case Monday and Criminal Court Judge Bernie Weinman directed a verdict of acquittal on the three charges. Weinman granted the acquittal after determining the state had not presented enough evidence to substantiate charges that Nicho- poulos illegally overprescribed medication for himself and a can cer patient, Robert Deason. Nichopoulos still faces 11 counts of overprescribing addic tive pills to Presley, singer Jerry Lee Lewis and seven others. “I’m excited about it,” Nicho poulous said. “I think it will help us a lot. I know it will help me a lot.” Defense attorney James Neal, a former Watergate prosecutor, would say only that his first wit ness would be a doctor. He would not comment when asked if Nichopoulos would testify in his own defense. Neal requested the motion for a directed verdict of acquittal after the state rested its case, several days earlier than anticipated. Prosecutors Jewett Miller and James Wilson cut their case short after talking with Neal and saying their next four doctor witnesses would testify in substantially the same manner that Dr. Alvin Cum mins testified. Cummins said Nichopoulos grossly exceeded the bounds of accepted medical practice in pre scribing thousands of addictive pills to Presley. Cummins said the excessive practices were particu larly outrageous and dangeroi since Nichopou/os knew the /A was addicted. Before the state rested, Ns told the jury drugs taken by 1ft sley can make a person so p logically dependent they "caii make it through the day witlffll the drug.” He likened the withdrawalpft cess to pulling a crutch awaylk® a patient. The prosecution has pro evidence that Nichopoulos pis scribed about 19,000 addict!'* pills for Presley during the months of his life. Of narcotics in particular, l } which the rock n’ roll king'' 15 addicted, Neal said, “Their abu* potential has been distinctly^ clearly known since the first p* 1 of this century.” Heart disease was ruled as ik cause of Presley’s death on A»S 16, 1977. However, a portion'' the results of an autopsy shovvi* superstar had 14 different drugii* his body tissues. ENGINEERING OPPORTUNITIES Graver Tank & Mfg., Co., Inc. in Pasadena, Texas is recruiting engi neering students for permanent employment. Graver has been a leader in storage tanks and pressure vessel fabrication and erection serving the Petroleum and Petro-Chemicals markets since 1857. We are seeking engineering students graduating in May, 1982. Pre ferred degrees are, Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering and Metallurgical/Welding. Please sign up for on-campus interviews in placement office today. A Graver representative will be interviewing on campus Monday, November 2, 1981.